Door-operating mechanism



Nov. 1 1 1924 1,515,175 H. ROWNTREE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Jan.22. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 2 auytli I 951 b rime/ S Patented Nov. 11,1924.

HAROLD nownrann, on NEW YORK, 'N.Y., nssrenon' T0 nnmonnr. rnncmn'rroCOMPANY, on NEW YoRK, N. Y., A conronncrronor wns'r VIRGINIA.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed January 22, 1923. Serial No. 614,121.

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it knownthat I, HAROLD ROWNTREE, a

citizen of the United States,.residing at New York, county and State ofNew .York, have made a certain new and useful Invention invDoor-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door operating mechanism and more particularlyto fluid pressure actuated apparatus for controllmg the movement ofdoors such asvare commonly employed on street, subway,- elevate d cars,

trains or vehicles. The object of the invention 1s to provlde dooroperating mechanism which is simpleof construction, efficient 1noperation and economical of manufacture.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide door operating mechanismwhich may be applied to any car, train or the: like,

employing fluid pressure for braking.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide apparatus of thischaracter which secures its operating pressure from the fluid pressurebrake line and which is so constructed, controlled and operated thatindependent manipulation of the brakes and door operating mechanism maybe secured.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of thischaracter for the above set forth purposes wherein variations ofpressure in the brake line will control both the brakes and the doors,but within certain limits of variation will control the provide meansfor. efi'ectively closing the various doors in a system of this naturewhen the same have reached their approxi-- mately closed position byimparting a sudden slam thereto, thereby making'it possible to employlatches or the like in connection therewith. I

Further. objects of the invention pear more fully hereinafter. r

The invention consists substantially in the will apconstruction,combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be-more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown by the accompanying drawingsand finall pointed out in the appended claims. I I

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is adiagrammatic view in plan" 4 showing the control of doorengines by varying the pressure in the brake line. I

Fig.- 2 is an enlarged view partially in section and in elevationshowing a control valve employed in accordance with my invention in thearrangement shown in Fig." 1.

Fig. 3 is a door motor shown: in' section employed in accordance with myinvention, utilizing brake line vacuum for the operation thereof. 7

Fig. 4 shows, partially in section, a door motor employing brake linepressure for the operation thereof.

Fig. 5 is anenlargeddetail view in section a of the right handend of themotor shown inFig. 4.

The same part is designated by the same reference character whereverthroughout the several views.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide asystem for it occurs the control and operation of doors and apparatusfor use in connection therewith -wh1ch Wlll utihze variations 1n thepressure or vacuum in a brake line system for the control of the doormotors. Withan arrangement of this nature it will be readily apparentthat separate pneumatic systems such as are commonly employed for doorcontrol and operation today would be largelv eliminated and that but onecontrol station for all of the car doors on one or more cars isnecessary. I

In a system of this nature it w1ll readily be apparent that it isessential that there should be complete and free control of the brakeswithout any danger of opening the doors when the car or train of cars is1n motion.

It is among the special purposes of my 1nvention to provide mechanismwhich permits such independent control of the door motors and of thebrakes, and yet at the same time utilizes the variation of pressure inthe brake line system for the control of the door motors.

In Fig. 1 I have diagrammat callyfllustrated a system embodying myinvent on applied to a train of two cars, but I wish it to be understoodthat I do not desire to be limited or restricted in this respect as theinvention may be applied as well to a single car or train consisting ofany number of cars. The two cars shown, however, are designatedbyreference numerals 1 and 2, and

for the purpose of illustration, each car is provided with two or moredoors 3. It 1s, of course, immaterial so far as my invention isconcerned, how many doors are employed on the car, but for each doorthere 1s provided a door motor 4.

There are many types of door motors that may be employed in accordancewith my 1nvention and l have shown in Figs. 3 and 4 two difierent typesthat may be employed. I do not desire to be limited or restricted inthis respect, however.

In the form of motors shown and to be hereinafter described, I employ amotor which permits the door to be 0 ened by hand and to be closed bypower. T e main brake line is illustrated by reference numeral 5 andextends the length of each car and. is provided with the usual couplingmeans for coupling various cars together when more than one car isemployed. This equipment is standard in the art and forms no part of mypresent invention exce t in so far as it is used in connection terewith. This main brake line is connected through a triple valve 6,provided with an outlet 7, which leads to the brakes (not shown). It isalso provided with a connection 8 to the brake reservoir 9 in whichfluid pressure is stored. The brake reservoir 9 is connected to what Iwill term the door engine reservoir 10 by means of a connection 11 whichis cont-rolled by what I will term the pressure controlled valve 12which isalso a check valve and only permits fluid pressure to flow fromthe brake reservoir 9 to the door engine reservoir 10 when pressure inthe brake reservoir exceeds a certain amount. The check valve feature ofthe pressure controlledwalve prevents any fluid pressure from the doorarrears engine reservoir 10 from flowing back to the brake reservoir 9.The pressure controlled valve 12 is commonly used in the air-brake artfor supplying pressure from the airbrake reservoir for other purposes.Its function in the present invention is to prevent any de-arrangementof the air-brake system resulting from any possible change in theauxiliary system. It allows no air to pass through into the auxiliaryreservoir until nearly the maximum pressure has been reached in thebrake line, and then only allows it to pass slowly through a restrictedarea, so that in the event of a bad leak the loss of air in theauxiliary reservoir would not severely and rapidly drain the brake line.As stated, it also contains a check valve to prevent any air frompassing back intothe brake line. This valve is not illustrated indetail, as it is well known in the art, and forms no part of the presentinvention except in so far as it is used in connection therewith. Thedoor engine reservoir 10 is connected through a pressure reducing valve13 to what I will call the door control valve 14 which is provided witha connection 15 to a pipe line 16 common to all of the door engines 4.There is also provided a by-pass connection 26 between the door controlvalve 14 and the main brake line 5 which by-passes the triple valve 6,brake reservoir 9, door engine reservoir 10 and reducing valve 13. Theequi ment described in connection with car 1 is uplicated on each car,if more than one car is employed.

I will now describe more in detail the door control valve 14 withreference to Fig. 2, wherein such valve is shown in section. The

connection 17 extending between the door engine reservoir 10 and thevalve 14, which connection is controlled by the reducing valve 13,enters into a casting 18 which is provided with an enlarged chamber 19at one end thereof. The piston 20 operates in this chamber and thepiston rod 21 thereof is provided with spaced collars 22 between whichis positioned a valve 23 adapted to be suitably moved upon actuation ofthe piston 20 and its rod. The end of the casting 18 is provided with :1channel plug 24 into which the end of the piston rod 21 extends. A coilspring 26 extends between the inner surface of the plug 24 and one ofthe collars 22 to normally maintain the piston 20 in its limit ofmovement towards the left. A connection 26 is provided in a. cap 27 forthe cylinder 19 with a restricted opening 28 therein to admit fluidpressure behind the surface of the piston 20. The connection 26 isprovided for communication with the brake line 5. The valve 23, in oneposi tion, opens the door engine to exhaust and in the other positionapplies pressure necessary to close the door, the pressure beingsupplied through the connection 17 from the door engine reservoir 10.The adjustment of the valve 14 is made notsensitive, so that a slightreduction or slight increase of the brake line pressure will not affectthe valve 23. However, when the brake line pressure becomes large enoughto overcome the spring and the reduced pressure supplied throughconnection 17 to the right hand surface of piston 20, the right and thevalve 23, as above described, moves therewith to the limit of itsmovement towards the right, which is the door closed position.

In the operation of any valve mechanism by pressure it is obvious thatthe larger the area of the valve operating piston in relation to thefriction surface of the valve to be moved, the more sensitive the valvewill be to variations in operating pressure, and the larger the frictionsurface of the valve to be moved in relation to the area of the valveoperating piston, the less sensitive the valve will be to variations inthe operating pressure. The triple valve, as illustrated at 6, is inpractice constructed to be highly sensitive, in order that the valve mayrespond promptly and accurately to slight variations in train pipepressure, and thereby obtain a. prompt response in the brakes to suchtrain pipe variation. In this invention it is desired to enable thebrakes to be controlled, to

' will not respond to a reduction of train pipe a certain extent,without also causing a change in door control, and therefore the doorcontrol valve 14 isso proportioned between the area of its operatinpiston and its friction surface that it is ess sensitive than the triplevalve, so that the door valve pressure until that reduction isconsiderable, nor respond to an increase in train pipe pressure untilthat increase is considerable.

Let us suppose that the full train pipe pressure is 70 lbs. and thatthis pressure exists in the train pipe, the brake reservoir and thedoor. reservoir,-and that the door operating pressure is reduced to 30lbs. by the reducing valve 13. The triple valve will be holding thebrakes clear and the door valve will be holding the doors closed. If nowthe train pipe pressure is reduced to 60 lbs. the brakes will bepartially applied, but the door valve, being less sensitive than thetriple valve. will not have moved from door closed position. If thetrain pipe pressure is again increased to 70 lbs. the valve will becleared and the doors still remain held closed. If, however, the trainpipe pressure is reduced to lbs. so as to obtain a full application ofthe brakes, this reduction in train pipe pressure will move the doorvalve to door open position, so any door can be opened by hand ifdesired. If the train pipe pressure is 110w increased to lbs. it willresult in freeing the brakes, as the train pipe piston 20 is moved tothe' pressure will be in'excess of the brake reservoir (pressure, thispressure havin been reduce through the previous application of thebrakes, but it will not result in closing any open doors as the increasewill not be suflicient to overcome the friction of the door valve. When,however, the train pipe pressure approaches lbs. the door valve will bemoved to closed position, and any open doors will be closed.

It will be readily understood that with this arrangement the engineer ormotorman, assuming that he is the one who controls the door motors, aswell' as the car motor, is able to apply the brakes partially and totake them off altogether withoutoperation of the door valve, therebypermitting the normaloperation of a car or train in transit withoutinterference with or by'the door control apparatus.

I will now describe the types of motors employed in accordance with myinvention. Referring particularly to F igs'. 4 and 5, I show a type ofdoor motor which utilizes the pressure in a brake line for actuation.This motor consists of a castin 30 having cylinders 31 and 32 therein,in which operate pistons 33 and 34 which are connected to-' gether bymeans of a piston rod 35. The piston rod 35 has secured thereto a lug 36which moves in a slot cut in the casting 30 between the cylinders 31 and32 and to which 1s connected the arm ordinarily connected to the door toeffect the operation thereof. Cylinder 31 is provided at its remote endwith a connection 37 for attachment to a source of fluid pressure fromthe door engine control valve 14 (see Fig. 1). The remote end ofcylinder 32 is provided with a cap 40 with an orifice 41 therein and achamber 42 to which the orifice 41 communicates. A piston 43 operates inchamber 42 and carries a valve 44. When the piston'43 is at the limit ofits movement to the right, as shown in Fig. 5, the valve 44 is unseatedfrom its seat on the ipassage 41 so that fluid pressure may flow romcylinder 32 into cylinder 42 and through exhaust port 45. to atmosphere.The chamber '42 is provided with a cap 46 provided with a connection 47for attachment to a source of fluid pressure from the door enginecontrol valve 14, a communicating port 48 being provided to permit thefluid pressure to get into the cylinder 42 behind the outer surface ofpiston 43. lVith the parts shown as in Figs. 4 and 5, the door is in itsclosed position.

Let us assume that the door has been opened by hand and it is desired toclosethe door. It is understood that when the door has been opened byhand the pistons 33 and 34 have been moved to the limit of theirmovement in the left hand direction, i. e., with the lug 36 in thedotted position,

shown in Fig. 4. Now, to close the door, fluid pressure is admitted byproper operation of the door control valve, shown in Fig. 2, to the endof the cylinders 31 and to the end of chamber 42. The fluid pressureadmitted in the chamber 42 forces the piston 43 to the left, therebyseating the valve 44 on its seat 41 and closing communication betweencylinder 32 and the exhaust port 45, except for the restricted openingextending between the chamber 42 and the cylinder 32. The pistons 33 and34 thereupon move towards the right compressing the air in cylinder 32and with the restricted exhaust port 50 forming a cushioning for theclosing movement of the door until the head of the piston 34 encountersthe end of the valve stem 51 as the door reaches its approximatelyclosed position, at which point the valve 44 is unseated, allowing afree exhaust through ports 41 and 45 to thereby cause the final closingmovement of the motor to be in the nature of a slam. By virtue of thefinal slam feature of the invention, it is possible to employ ordinarylatches or the like, for maintaining the doors in a closed position andat the same time ensure that the latches are sprung each time the doorassumes its door closed position.

The simplicity of the engine structure and the efliciency of theoperation thereof in conjunction with the valve mechanism forcontrolling the fluid pressure, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,present many advantages in the use of this type of motor in connectionwith main brake line systems employed, which advantages are outstandingover the present systems employed,-0f separate fluid pressure supply fordoor operation.

The invention may be readily applied to the vacuum type of brake systemswith but slight modification of the motor construction. In Fig. 3 T haveshown a type of motor which may be employed for this purpose. Tn thisarrangement the motor consists of cylinders and 61 of difi'erentdiameters and in which operate pistons 62 and 63, respectively,connected by a piston rod 64. Cylinder 62 is open-ended and haspivotally secured thereto the arm 65 which is connected to the door foroperation thereof. Pipes 66 and 67 are connected by means of a suitablenipple 68 to the vacuum system. Pipe 67 communicates through passage 69with .the closed end of cylinder 60, and pipe 66 communicates with achamber 70 at the remote end of cylinder 61. Ohamber 70 contains thereina piston 71, the rod of which consists of the valve 44 which seats inthe head of cylinder 61 so that when the piston 71 is at the limit ofits movementtowards the left, in the form shown, communication is shutoff between cylinder 61 and chamber 70 except through the restrictedport 50, as in the case of the structure shown in Fig. 5, but when thepiston is moved to the extreme right communication is establishedbetween cylinder 61 and chamber 70 through the passage 41. The extremeend of the chamber 70 is provided with an exhaust port 45. With theparts in the arrangement shown the door is in its door open position. Toclose the door a vacuum is produced -'in the line to which the nipple 68is connected. Therefore a vacuum is created in the chamber 60 behind thepiston 62 and likewise in the chamber 70 behind the piston 71.

The atmospheric pressure in the portion 7 0 of the cylinder 70 in frontof the piston 71 forces the valve 44 on its seat 41. The air thencontained in cylinder 61 can only escape through the restricted port 50so that a cushioning is efiected towards the limit of the stroke of themotor, i. e., as the door approaches its closed position. When, however,the head of piston 63 encounters the stem 51 of Valve 44 the valve isunseated' and a free exhaust through the port 41 is provided for theremainder of the air in cylinder 61, so that the final slam suflicientto efi'ect an operation of the door latch is thus effected. Theoperation of the vacuum type of motor as distinguished from the pressuretype of motor will be readily understood in view of the descriptionhereinbefore given of the pressure type of motor and it will be readilyapparent that variation in the vacuum controls the door control system.

Many modifications and changes in details will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvent-ion as defined in the claims, and I desire to have the foregoingregarded in an illustrative sense rather than in a limiting sense.

Having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention and havingshown and described a construction embodying the principles thereof,what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a car door control system, and in combination with a brake lineand a fluid pressure actuated door motor, of means controlled byvariations of the pressure in the brake line for controlling said motor.

2. In a car door control system, and in combination with a brake lineand a fluid pressure actuated door motor, of a valve for controlling thedoor motor, and means controlled by variations of the pressure in thebrake line for controlling said valve.

3. In a car door control system, and in combination with a brake line, abrake controlling valve, and a fluid pressure actuated door motor, of avalve for controlling the door motor, means whereby a Variation of thepressure in the brake line will control the door valve" less sensitiveto such variationsthan the brake valve.

' fluid pressure to said motor. i 7. In a car door control system, andin? combination with a brake-line. and a ffluid;

' pressure actuated doormotor, of a source'of f 4. In a car door controlsystem, and in combination with a brake'line,"a brake controlling valve,and a fluid pressure actuated door motor, of a valve for controlling thedoor motor, means whereby a variation of the pressure in the brake linewill control said door valve, and. meansfor rendering said door valveless sensitive to such variation than said brake valve. I v

5. In a car door control system, and in combination with a brake lineand a fluid pressure actuated door motor, of means controlled byvariations of the pressure in the brake line for actuating said motor todoor closed position.

6. In a car door control system, and in combination with a brake lineand a fluid pressure actuated door motor, of a source of fluid pressurefor said motor, and means con-. trolled by variations in pressure in.said brake line for controlling fluid pressure for "said motor,*a valvefor controlling the supplly'of fluid pressure to said motor, and'meanscontrolled by variations-in pressurein said brake line forfcon trollingsaidvalve.

v, 8. In acar door control"sy'stem,'-and combination with a brake lineand-aj fluid pressure actuated door ,motor toiclos'e' the" door, ofmeans controlled by a variation 1n I pressure in said brake line foractuating said motor.

9. In a car door control system, and in combination with a brake lineand-a fluid pressureactuated door motor, ofv atria reservoir, a ,doormotor reservoir, ineans for maintaining saiddoor motorreservoir filledfrom said brake reservoir, and means controlled by variationsinfpressure in said brake line for controlling the supply of fluidpressure from said door motor reservoirto said door motor. a

10. In a car door control system, and incombination with a brake lineand a fluid pressure actuated door motor, of a; brake reservoir, a doormotor reservoir, means for maintaining said door motor reservoir filledfrom said brake reservoir, a valve for controlling the'supply of fluidpressure from said door motor reservoir to said door motor,

' and means for controlling said valve by varihaust the supply of la iyltrolling the-supply of fluid pressure from said door motorreservoir tosaid door motor,

between sald valve and and. a connection said brake line. I

12. In a door motor, the combination with a cylinder, a piston therein,means for controlforfpermitting an unrestricted exhaust of the I airnear the 'completionofj its stroke.

13. In a door motor, the combination with a c linder, a piston therein,means for contro ling the supply of fluid pressure and the exhaustthereof-from said cylinder, a cushioning cylinder,'means for aflording arestricted exhaust of air from said cylinder to cushion themovementthereof, and means actuated by the piston nearing the end. of-i'tstravel for permittingi an .unrestricted ex- Qt. the, from said cylinder.

H ii ot'orythe combination with I, p r,.aLpiston-therein, means forcontrolling the. supply of fluid pressure and the exhaust thereof fromsaid cylinder, a cushioningicylinder, a normally closed free exhaustport and a restricted exhaust port, and

haust port; .7 7-

115.1: In adoo'r motor, the combination with azeyli ndrgi pistontherein, means for; at,-

fording-a restricted exhaust of airvfr'om' behind saidg piston' tocushion .the -movement thereof itowardsthe approximate end of its'trfavel,* and means-for permitting an unrestricted exh sto ffthe' airbehind said piston near nipletion of its stroke.

, I n a door motor, the combination with a cylinder, a piston therein,means for, affording a restricted exhaust of air from behind said pistonto cushion the movement theerof towards the approximate-end of* itstravel, and means actuated by the piston nearing the end of its travelfor permitting ling the supply of fluid pressure and the exv anunrestricted exhaust of the air behind said piston.

17 In a door motor, thecombination with a cylinder, a piston therein, anormally closedfree exhaust port and a restricted exhaust port, andmeans controlled by the piston reaching the end of its travel foropening said free exhaust port.

18. In a door motor, the combination with a cylinder, a piston therein,a free exhaust port and a restricted exhaust ort, a valve for said freeexhaust port and uid pressure means for normally maintaining said valveclosed, and means actuated by the piston nearing the end of its travelfor unseating said valve.

19. In a door motor, the combination with a cylinder, a piston therein,means for controlling the suppl of fluid pressure and the exhaustthereof from said cylinder, an ex- I exhaust thereof rom said cylinder,an exhaust port, and a movable device actuated haust port, andmechanical means controlled by said piston reaching the end of itstravel by the piston reachin the end of its travel for controlling saidport. 5 for controlling said ex iaust port. In testimony whereof I havehereunto set 20. In a door motor, the combination with my hand on this12th day of January,iA. D. a cylinder, a piston therein, means for con-1923. trolling the supply of fluid pressure and the HAROLD ROWNTREE.

